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The constitution amendment bill for the merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, formally known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas Reforms Bill, passed in the Senate on Friday by an overwhelming 71-5 vote.

The bill had already been passed by the lower house a day earlier after receiving support from both the treasury and opposition benches. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, who rarely attends NA sessions, also participated in the historic vote which was opposed by government allies Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) who chose to walk out.

The only votes against the bill, presented in the Senate today by Law Minister Chaudhry Bashir Virk, came from from PkMAP while JUI-F chose to walk out again.

Soon after the announcement of the results, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani greeted the nation in general and Fata people in particular over passage of the historic bill.

Before the bill was tabled, Leader of the Opposition Sherry Rehman acknowledged the democratic right of those opposing the bill.

She said Fata mainstreaming was the dream of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who had first formed a committee on the issue in 1970s. Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had also moved the Supreme Court on the matter, she said.

Rehman also denied the impression that the bill was being passed at someone's behest.

She said that the people of Fata were demanding basic rights and that the responsibility of ensuring that now lies with the KP Assemly whose nod would be required before the bill is signed by the president into a law.

Historic day as #FATAMergerBill passes in the Senate today by 2/3 majority defeating its 5 opponents with 71 votes in favour. The pace of reform is now in the hands of the KP assembly.We owed this to FATA for too https://t.co/LlcXF187n2 least now the same laws should apply to all

PkMAP Senator Usman Kakar said both yesterday and today were black days because the bill was passed by the lower and upper houses.

He regretted that in the past Fata was used as a base camp for the war in Afghanistan, adding that the people of Fata hated terrorism and the terrorists in the area had arrived from outside.

Before staging the walkout, JUI-F Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri objected that the status of Fata was being changed without seeking consent of the people of Fata.

Haideri said that his party believed that Fata had a separate status and claimed that a decision was being imposed on its people.

'Parliament failed to act on reforms on its own'

Senator Raza Rabbani insisted that the initiative for the bill was not taken by the parliament on its own.

He said that when former president Asif Ali Zardari was about to announce Fata reforms, he was prevented from doing so by "certain forces" who did not want the merger back then.

"But when the intentions of some forces change, the parliament follows suit," Rabbani said.

He said the merger had not been possible despite several attempts by the parliament but it happened after a corps commanders conference and the National Security Council talked about it.

He said that it was unfortunate that the parliament was unable to act on Fata reforms from within and was told from outside to do so.

"Yet it is a positive move that should have happened earlier," he said.

Rabbani also opposed the rising calls for new provinces to be made on administrative grounds.

"We will not allow for administrative units to be created," Rabbani said, clarifying that provinces have their unique ethnicities, cultures, languages and histories. "A province cannot be made until these ingredients are present."

The bill had required 69 votes in the house of 104 to be passed by two-thirds majority.

The Federally Administered Tribal Areas represent the gateway to the plains of the subcontinent through seven passes: Bajaur, Dir, Khyber, Mohmand, Peiwar Kotal in Kurram Agency, the Bolan Pass and Gomal in South Waziristan.

The long-awaited mainstreaming of the tribal areas has been in the works for four years.

Passing the bill in KP Assembly

Another daunting task for the political leadership is to get the bill passed with a two-thirds vote in the KP Assembly before the expiry of its term on May 28, three days before the National Assembly’s dissolution.

As per Article 239(4) of the Constitution, the president cannot assent a constitutional amendment bill which affects geographical boundaries of a province without approval by the assembly of that province.

Article 239(4) of the Constitution reads, “A bill to amend the Constitution which would have the effect of altering the limits of a province shall not be presented to the president for assent unless it has been passed by the provincial assembly of that province by the votes of not less than two-thirds of its total membership.”

If the bill does not get through the KP Assembly, then the fate of Fata merger will be in the hands of new representatives to be elected in the coming general elections. Even after its passage from the National Assembly and the Senate, the president will have to wait to give his assent till the installation of the new assembly.

Comments (29) Closed

The seats of existing MNAs and MPAs should be retained and merged with the concerned province...

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Shahkot

May 25, 2018 02:37pm

@SkyHawk What PTI has to do with this. This merger was announced and executed by the current Federal government....

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Shah

May 25, 2018 03:03pm

I belive only anti-nationals could be against the merger of FATA with KP.
Fazal and Achakzai, let there be no doubt who these people really are.

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ARIF

May 25, 2018 03:03pm

Those who opposed will be remembered.

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Nomi Goraya

May 25, 2018 03:18pm

@SkyHawk This is PMLN government and any credit or discredit goes to them and if you think PMLN was forced to do so then that force was not PTI.

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Wazir

May 25, 2018 04:13pm

Well done

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Naeem

May 25, 2018 05:50pm

@Shahkot are you sleeping? If pmln was so nice why it was not done before. Untill they knew it will be done anywsy so just to take credit passed it ar 11th hour..

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

May 25, 2018 05:54pm

This is most probably the only good and tangible work in five years that the Senate or the upper house of parliment in Islamabad has done.

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Abdulla Hussain

May 25, 2018 05:55pm

Historical moment. FATA very rightly deserved merger with the rest of Pakistan. This will bring peace and benefit for the entire region.

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Bleed Green

May 25, 2018 06:04pm

@Shahkot PTI is the main consistent force behind this merger even though when federal govt laid down their weapons infront of its allies PkMAP and Jui-f. Congtrats PTI for historic achievement.

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Saad

May 25, 2018 06:41pm

@Shahkot it was part of national action plan,pmln delayed it till very last to gain for election 2018 and make sure new kpk administration take fata after next election in order to avoid any political influence for currently administred kpk pti team.

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Kamran Raja

May 25, 2018 08:11pm

Late but a decision in a greater good of nation.

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Sameer

May 25, 2018 08:28pm

Towards a better Pakistan Inshallah. Now please divide administrative representation in Punjab and Sindh. If South Punjab wants its rights; then Sindh should not be ignored.

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ayaz kpk

May 25, 2018 08:55pm

@SkyHawk what? all parties except two played their role especially ANP.

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Wazir 1

May 25, 2018 09:11pm

Well done Mr. Raza Rabbani! Truth is bitter and what you uttered in the Senate today is the thing that the people of this country complain of. It became uite clear today that Parliament has no authority itself and all important decisions are imposed from outside. Zardari even PPP raised the question of merger several times in the past but it was bitterly opposed by the forces referring to by Rabbani in his speech today. If decisions are thrust from outside then better to abolish the parliamentary system and run the affairs by those who are the real rulers of this country.

@Shahkot It was a good gesture by PML-N but I dont believe they had a choice in this case

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Razi

May 25, 2018 10:23pm

FATA merger need of the hour. Betterment of the people of FATA. Huge oil & gas reserves not tapped by FATA regime while KP became the largest indigenous producer of Oil. KP systems will bring prosperity for FATA brothers.

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leena

May 26, 2018 12:17am

now let us see who would be benefited from the natural resources of FATA which counts in billion of dollars.

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sajed syed

May 26, 2018 12:50am

Pakistan shall create new provinces and re-zone areas. Urdu shall be the only official language across all provinces. Provinces shall be cut off on administrative convenience basis and ignore language, ethnicity and culture of a particular province.

Pakistan is an Islamic country and its language and culture shall be ONE, only Islamic.

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Sabir Pakistani

May 26, 2018 12:55am

Now it’s up to kpk assembly to pass.

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umar garwaki

May 26, 2018 03:26am

Tribal area of Zhob is to be merged with Balochistan. it means geographical boundary of Balochistan will also alter. then why the bill has not to be passed by Balochistan assemble as well.

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Javed

May 26, 2018 04:01am

Histotic Day, well done PML-N well done!

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Javed

May 26, 2018 04:03am

@ARIF those who opposed will be forgotten by the sands of time.

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Javed

May 26, 2018 04:09am

Today a great Wrong has been Righted, congratulations to every Pakistani.

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Shahid

May 26, 2018 04:35am

Why the bill only needs to be adopted by the KPK assembly and not the Baluchistan assembly too as the areas around Zhob are to be included in Baluchistan.

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Aafiyat nazar

May 26, 2018 08:17am

Though the FATA had a better position then the case of Gilgit-Baltistan as the former had already representations in the Senate and National Assembly...The full merger will enable the people of FATA to get the fruits in the form of legal and other benefits....This is indeed a great step in the History of Pakistan...I wonder when will the people of GB will be given such rights and citizenship status???..